Three's The Charm
by Nika Dixon
Summary: Dr. Keller's third trip off world goes from dull to dire when she's kidnapped. Ronon/Keller pre-ship; Sheppard, McKay, Lorne.
1. Chapter 1

ONE

Jennifer was having trouble not staring. Okay so maybe ogling was a better word. But damn it, he was sitting right across from her! How could she not notice him? All buff and tan with those sexy bare arms taunting her from the other side of the conference room table. He shifted position and she tried to look away but her eyes kept coming back. She briefly wondered if she used both hands, could she connect her fingertips around his biceps?

"Dr. Keller?" Sam's voice cut through her thoughts and she jumped in her chair.

"I- I'm sorry." She shook her head, her ears warming under the quick flush that spread to her cheeks.

"How quickly can you be ready to leave?" Sam repeated the question.

"An hour." Jen answered, glancing at her watch. "I can have everything ready to go in an hour."

"That's it then." Sam tapped her palm against the table. "Colonel, you'll accompany Dr. Keller to the Lyrian settlement and oversee the inoculations their healer started."

John nodded quickly towards Jennifer before turning his attention back to Sam. "And the device?"

Sam looked at Rodney who was sitting next to Jennifer.

Rodney removed the pen he was distractedly munching on while staring at the computer tablet he cradled. He wiggled the pen through the air while he spoke. "I need to run a few more diagnostics, but the technology is definitely ancient. We're not sure what the ruins were from but of course I have my suspicions. You see it's-"

"Thanks Rodney." Sam interrupted with a smile and a wave of her hand. "Finish your analysis and report back to me if you find anything."

Rodney nodded and spun around in his chair.

Being closest to the door, Jen was the first to escape to the hallway. Chastising herself for allowing her mind to wander – again – she hurried back to the infirmary. Damn Ronon for being so bloody distracting! In the few weeks since they spent all that time sealed in the infirmary, she'd wanted to kick Zelenka's skinny little ass for playing with the power at the exact moment Ronon was about to kiss her. Jen had been walking, working, dreaming of that missed kiss ever since.

And it didn't help that she'd been running into Ronon everywhere now. Or maybe she'd just been noticing him more. She didn't know for sure. It certainly _seemed_ as though he needed more patching up after sparring accidents these past few weeks. And at the weirdest hours, too.

Jen frowned. She was the CMO for heaven's sake! She needed to act like a professional, not some love sick teenager to be pining after the bad boy from down the block. But what a bad boy he was. Then she sighed. Why did she always have to fall for the unobtainable? Ronon was so far out of her league…

At the infirmary she forced herself to concentrate on organizing the supplies. The small Lyrian settlement had lost its second healer in less than a year, and this one ran off right in the middle of inoculating the populace against a nasty flu like virus that was ripping through the village. Jen wasn't surprised a healer might find the task a little too overwhelming. The town housed maybe a hundred people tops, but having most of them sick at the same time, would be damn stressful for any doctor. Especially when they were all looking to that one person for relief. The poor healer probably had a nervous breakdown and ran for the hills.

Jen organized the supplies and crossed items off her list as she packed them into the cases. It was an easy enough task to finish vaccinating the people, and she could have done it without assistance, but apparently someone was worried she might need looking after.

Not that she was going to turn down a little added muscle.

Nope, not at all.

Especially after what happened with the Bola Kai.

Jen shuddered and pushed away the terrifying memories.

_Concentrate_, she chastised herself.

An hour later she was packed and standing in front of the Stargate, her backpack filled to bursting, a holding a heavy metal case in each hand. John held the third case while Rodney absently tapped away on his computer tablet.

Turning to wave goodbye to Sam who was standing behind them, Jen's eyes were drawn to the man leaning casually against the railing on the upper level. Ronon's eyes locked on hers, and for a brief moment, she swore he was trying to tell her something. But his face remained passive. Expressionless.

He nodded. Once.

Her heart skipped and pattered an unsteady rhythm as she continued to stare up at him. When he raised an eyebrow in silent challenge, she blinked and turned away before he could see the flush creeping into her cheeks. With a deep, steadying breath she hurried after John and Rodney, and stepped through the gate.

Ronon stared at the now dormant Stargate and almost smiled. He hadn't missed the embarrassed color which flushed her cheeks. He was glad to see he was finally starting to get her attention because he was running out of excuses to keep accidentally bumping into her.

Last week John figured out how he'd gotten good enough to make Ronon bleed when they were sparring, and now refused to play along if all Ronon was doing was looking for an excuse to get sent to the infirmary so he could flirt with the cute doctor. So he was having to come up with his own ideas on how to cross her path.

He'd found himself thinking about her more and more lately. Little things kept popping up in his mind. The way she tucked her hair behind her ears when she was trying to concentrate. The way she waved her hands when talking about something she was passionate about. Her laugh. Her drive and determination to help people.

And more importantly, the way she stood up to him.

Not many women – okay well, few enough he could count on one hand – ever took his crap and fed it back to him. His mother. Melena. Teyla – who could not only hand it back to him, she could make him eat it too.

And now Jennifer Keller.

The woman may look petite and harmless elsewhere but in her infirmary she was the supreme ruler. She commanded with authority and didn't take any shit. Especially his. She'd earned his respect several times over already – more so after her latest adventure off world.

It had taking a few days of sorting through the added self positioning embellishments McKay always tossed into his stories, but Ronon finally had a full picture of what she'd gone through when she'd been trapped underground in the mining facility with Sam and Rodney. Jennifer had kept her cool, and come up with a few great ideas of her own. He'd praised her, and tried not to laugh at her stuttered embarrassment. Hell, he'd even grudgingly had to give it up to McKay for ultimately saving her life by holding onto the rope as she dangled over the precipice. Rodney had moved up a notch from annoying know-it-all to slightly less annoying know-it-all.

Ronon's friends on Atlantis were his family, and he cared about each one of them. Some decidedly more than others. But lately it seemed more important that _she_ was looked after. When he'd heard she was being called upon to travel off Atlantis, he'd planted the seed with Colonel Carter that Dr. Keller might rate an escort. An idea to which the Colonel readily agreed.

He'd had no real reason to watch their departure today other than for an excuse to see her again. But something in his chest tightened when he watched her standing below.

When she looked at him he'd wanted to warn her to be careful, but couldn't. Wouldn't. Didn't.

He'd already talked with Sheppard and knew Jennifer would remain under John's watchful eye. Ronon didn't like the fact that the last two time's Jennifer traveled off world, her life had been threatened.

What was that saying John used? Third time's the charm?


	2. Chapter 2

ONE

TWO

Jennifer worked until daylight was no longer a viable light source, and under John's insistence, gave in and packed up her supplies for the night. Most of the village was now inoculated against the virus, with a few remaining hold outs to be chased down in the morning.

When they first arrived she'd made rounds to the houses to check on the sick. Like most illnesses, the worst hit were always the weakest. Children and elderly. Jen instructed the parents and caregivers on ways to make people more comfortable, distributed medication to help lower their fevers, and answered question after question.

Rodney and John had asked her to join them at the local tavern for a late supper but she'd declined, opting to finish some of the tests she'd started earlier.

In part she'd been too exhausted to think about food, so John had walked her to her tent and made her swear she'd stay in for the night. She promised to contact him on the com if she needed anything.

Delving into the paperwork that was piled up in the corner she lost herself to the world, not even noticing the sounds of someone entering her tent.

"So it's a backup." John said, raising the glass and downing the last of his ale.

Rodney shook his head and stood, walking backwards towards the door, his arms accenting his words. "It's a duplicate DHD set up to take over should anything happen to the primary gate control. It's quite ingenious really. It runs in tandem with the other unit. Say someone needs to dial the gate, but they're in a hurry and can't actually access the main control. A person on the secondary console should be able to dial the gate for them. Similar to the way we access the controls from the jumper."

"So it's a backup." John repeated, following Rodney out into the dark night.

"No. Well. Yes." Rodney rolled his eyes. "It's a backup."

"Is it functional?"

"Well that's the strange thing. It appears to be completely whole except for a missing control crystal."

"So if we brought a crystal from another gate?" John suggested, turning the corner past a row of houses and heading towards their tents on the edge of town.

"We could test it yes." Rodney snapped his fingers. "I could go grab the one from the main gate-"

"No…" John shook his head. "You're not disabling our only way off this planet so you can test a theory."

"But I'd put it right back." Rodney whined.

"No."

"But-"

"Rodney, I said no." John stopped in front of Jen's tent, light spilling out from the lanterns inside.

"Okay, okay." Rodney mumbled.

"Doc?" John called out, his hand reaching up to part the curtains. "You still up?"

The wind had picked up, wisps of dark clouds drifted over the full moon. A distant rumble announced the pending arrival of a storm. The edge of the canvas flapped, exposing the inside of the tent.

"Doc?" With a curse John flung the flap wide and stepped inside.

Rodney peered over his shoulder. "You'd think a doctor would be neater."

The inside of the tent was a mess. Equipment and cases lay scattered across the ground, the cot was overturned, its blankets and pillow lying in a pile next to the frame.

Jennifer was gone.

"Doc?" John keyed his communicator and prayed for her to answer.

Silence.

"Doctor Keller? It's Sheppard. Come in."

Nothing.

Rodney cleared his throat, wiggling the earpiece he'd picked up off the ground.

John moved towards the back wall of the tent, his P90 no longer hanging limply over his shoulder. Withdrawing a flashlight he aimed the beam at the back of the structure. Using the barrel of the gun as a prod, he stepped through a floor to ceiling tear in the canvas.

With the flashlight and the added glow from the inside of the tent, John scoured the ground. He squatted and felt out a deep heel print with his finger tips. The grass was trampled and matted, a trail leading off into the tree line twenty yards from their position.

Sheppard cursed.

"What?" Rodney followed him out into the darkness.

John ran towards the trees, his eyes on the ground. When he reached the edge of the forest he disappeared into the thick undergrowth.

"Hey!" Rodney yelled, pointing up the street. "They have facilities here, you know! They're not all that sanitary, but…"

John returned, his voice clipped. "The Doc's gone. Someone's taken her and I don't think it was willingly."

"What?" Rodney looked around, eyes wide. "They're not still here, are they?"

"Get back to Atlantis." John ordered. "Bring back a jumper. I need Ronon, and Major Lorne and his team here ASAP."

"Aw," Rodney rolled his eyes. "Do we have to bring Ro-"

"Unless you want to track them through a forest in the dark with a storm coming? No? Then we need Ronon. Go." John frowned. "Now, McKay."

"But it's like, two kilometers back to the gate…"

"Fine." John turned away. "You make sure they don't come back, and I'll go to the gate."

"No, no. That's okay." Rodney quickly hurried past John. "I'll go, I'll go."

"Hurry, Rodney!" John urged, his voice dropping as he watched Rodney jog back through town. He turned back towards the trees, his gut twisting. "Oh, this is not good."


	3. Chapter 3

THREE

John tried to determine if anything else was missing, but he didn't know what she'd brought with her. He skimmed through the notes that were strewn about the ground but couldn't understand much of the terminology. The only noticeable thing missing, besides the doctor, was her knapsack.

The few villagers he'd quickly questioned didn't see or hear anything – but the tent was placed on the edge of town so it didn't surprise him. It was late and most people had been inside for the evening.

Something moved near the entrance to the tent and he spun, weapon aimed. "You should really start wearing a bell." John lowered his weapon as Ronon pulled back the edges of the tent.

Ronon's face was grave as he walked in. All McKay said when he'd arrived back on Atlantis was Jennifer was gone and Sheppard wanted Ronon to get to the settlement.

Ronon didn't wait for any more details.

"What the hell happened?"

"Near as I can figure, two men came in through the back and took her." John pointed towards the tear in the tent. "The trail leads into the trees. Villagers are no help."

Ronon stepped forward until he was chest to chest with Sheppard. "You were supposed to be watching her."

"Watching her for what?" John shrugged. "The town's full of bed ridden sick people. The woman's luck is worse than McKay's." John shook his head quickly, his hand landing on Ronon's shoulder. "Well find her." Then he stepped past Ronon and looked out the entrance towards the town. "Where's Major Lorne?"

"Still packing." Ronon moved to the back of the tent, inspecting the edges of the tear before stepping out into the darkness.

"On Atlantis? How'd you get here so fast?"

"I was already packed." He patted the holster secured firmly to his thigh.

With a glance at the sky Ronon watched the moon disappearing behind the clouds. A cold drop of rain touched his cheek, followed quickly by another. Tracking could be difficult enough in the daytime. Darkness would make it hard – yet not impossible. But rain - rain would wash it all away, leaving him little or nothing to follow.

"How long ago?" He asked as he jogged across the field towards the trees.

"Don't know exactly." John answered, following directly behind him. "Sometime in the last two hours."

Ronon growled. Two hours. A lifetime of pain and suffering could be inflicted in two hours. Anger clenched across his chest. He'd known something was going to go wrong. He'd known and kept it to himself. Asked Sheppard to go when he should have gone himself. If anything happened to her…

"When the jumper gets here we can track her from the air." John said from behind him, the rain now coming down in a steady drizzle.

They reached the tree line and stopping under the leaves where it was still dry. The jumper could track Jennifer's subcutaneous transmitter, alerting them to her location, as long as she wasn't underground or behind thick metal. In the mean time, Ronon wasn't about to sit around waiting. In the dirt under the trees the trail was clear and obvious. Two large sets of footprints – men – and a third set – smaller and closer together.

_Stay strong, Jennifer._ He willed his thoughts into the night.

Turning, he dug into the pocket of his jacket and extracted a small black box. "McKay said to give you this. Said you'd know what to do with it."

Sheppard grabbed the device and smiled. "Well why didn't you say so? It's a portable tracker." After a couple of quick taps on the screen Sheppard held it up. "There." He pointed off to the left. "About four clicks that way."

Ronon grinned and took off at a run. Okay so maybe McKay had moved up another notch.

Jen stumbled again, her footing unstable in the dark. Shaking limbs didn't make for easy walking, and her limbs were most definitely shaking. The rope binding her wrist rubbed her skin raw as her captor yanked her forward. She scrambled to her feet and slid in the wet mud, landing hard on her tailbone.

The taller of the two men who'd wrestled her from the tent turned towards his companion, who was yanking the rope. "Take it easy. Burnon said to deliver her unharmed."

The short stocky man grumbled and reached for her arm, dragging her to her feet. "I don't know why we're bothering. The other two were useless. What makes Burnon think this one's any different?"

"I don't question." The first one warned, shifting Jennifer's backpack which he wore across his shoulders. "I just follow orders. And so should you, Durock."

Durock shrugged and shoved Jennifer forward. "Keep moving," he grumbled. "We have a long way to go."

The first man held the lantern higher and continued forward into a small clearing. The lack of leaves above gave the rain free access and her jacket was soon soaked through.

Jen used her shoulder to rub at the disgustingly dirty cloth they'd shoved in her mouth to keep her from calling out. Her hair was caught in the knot they'd tied around the back of her head and it pulled every time she moved.

"Mrfrrr." She muttered, wishing she could get it free just long enough to tell these two disgustingly smelly goons just what their fates were going to be when Ronon Dex tracked them down. Although her madly slamming heart quickly reminded her – she probably should just keep her mouth shut. Rescue wasn't coming.

Ronon was back on Atlantis, and John and Rodney were at the pub.

Having a beer.

While she was being kidnapped.

No one knew where she was. And no one knew she was even missing.

Why did all her off world trips have to involve something bad happening? She wasn't trained for this kind of stuff! She was a doctor for God's sake!

She stumbled again, catching her foot on a piece of undergrowth. Her hands, bound in front of her, reached forward to break her fall but Durock tugged on the rope causing her to spin. She hit the ground hard and cried out when an incredibly painful jolt shocked through her left shoulder.

Oh yeah, _that_ was going to leave a mark.

Durock muttered something under his breath and his companion turned around, once again yanking her to her feet. Jen cried out when he pulled on her left arm.

The first man stepped forward and snatched the rope out of Durock's fingers. "I told you to be careful."

"What's the big deal, Silus?" Durock countered, stepping up into the other man's face. "She's just going to end up like the others anyway. What does it matter if she arrives a little messed up?"

Jen's heart skittered. End up how? Oh lord this couldn't be good. She had to get away.

Silus dropped the rope and grabbed Durock by the front of his long jacket. "If she's a healer then she needs her limbs in order to heal, understand? Pulling her arms off isn't going to make Burnon very happy, now is it? And you know damn well what happens when Burnon's not happy. Don't you?"

Jen stepped back slowly, gathering up the slack in the rope until she was holding the entire loop in her hands. Backing away she stepped out of the clearing and into the shadow of a large tree.

With Silus and Durock still arguing the merits of keeping her in one piece, Jen spun and started running. Praying for sure footing amongst the undergrowth she jogged and stumbled, landing hard and scrambling back up. She bounced her injured shoulder off the low hanging branch of a tree and couldn't stop herself from crying out. A snap of a twig behind her and she tried to move faster but it was too late.

Something hard and solid slammed into her back and she crashed to the ground. With a dizzying flash of pain across her forehead the world went black.


	4. Chapter 4

FOUR

"We've lost the signal." John muttered, skidding to a stop in the slick mud of the hillside.

"What do you mean you lost it?" Ronon turned and strode back.

They'd been making excellent time, despite the darkness and rain, and had closed to within a mile of Jen's position. The incline was slippery and muddy, travel had been difficult, but Ronon wasn't about to let something as insignificant as a torrential downpour keep him from his target.

"Lost." John wiggled the tracker then whacked it with his hand. "As in gone. No longer there. Maybe it got wet."

Ronon growled.

"Easy, big guy." John dropped the transmitter into his pocket. "If I remember Rodney's blithering correctly, we should be near the ruins and there are a lot of caves nearby. They could simply have taken shelter."

Ronon turned and stared in the general direction they'd been traveling. The ground had slowly changed with the climb from mud and trees to rocks and sparser greens. Caves were a likely scenario. But how many? And which direction?

"Colonel Sheppard, come in." Major Lorne's voice sounded in John's ear.

"Major Lorne." John answered quickly. "Where are you?"

"Just exiting the gate, sir, heading towards your position now."

"Do you see Dr. Keller's signal?"

A brief pause. "No."

John shook his head at Ronon who growled. "Okay. We passed a clearing a few minutes back, about half a click before our position. Meet us there."

"Roger, that." Lorne answered.

John turned and stepped back the way they'd come.

"Where are you going?" Ronan didn't move.

"We can't find her if we can't see. And we can't see. It's dark, raining, and we've lost her signal."

Ronon growled. "I'm not leaving her."

John returned. "Neither am I. But be reasonable. The minute her signal kicks back in we'll be able to take the jumper directly to her."

"And if it doesn't?"

"We'll keep going."

Ronon shook his head and spun on his heel. "Not leaving her." He called over his shoulder, and disappeared into the trees.

"Ronon. Ronon!" Sheppard called after him. "Oh hell." He muttered.

John listened for Ronon but it was useless. The man moved like a specter. You only heard him if he wanted you to. With a curse he turned and headed down the incline, back towards the clearing where Major Lorne would be waiting with the jumper.

Jen shivered and looked frantically around. She fought to keep her breathing steady despite her heart's attempt to pound its way out through her ribcage.

She'd been pretty much unconscious until they'd dropped her onto the floor of the cell so she had no idea how long she'd been out, or where the hell she was now. The air was dark and stale, the musty smell tickling her nose, so wherever _here_ was, it was most definitely underground.

She placed her palm against the side of her head, wincing. The bleeding had stopped, but she had a nice goose egg just above her right ear from where she'd cracked her head on a rock or tree root when Durock tackled her. To top things off, her shoulder was already starting to change color. She prodded it gently with her fingertips. Nothing was broken but damn if it didn't hurt like a son-of-a-bitch.

"Okay, now what?" She whispered softly to the damp walls. Pulling against the door she confirmed it was indeed locked. Well, it was worth a shot. She explored the rest of the walls in the light of the single bulb hanging high above her head, but there was nothing to see but rock.

"Let's go, healer." Jen let out a squeal and spun around at the sound of the voice behind her. A very large man was unlocking the door to her cell. He looked like an unwashed throwaway from the WWF - no neck, no hair, and no soap. He stepped closer and grabbed for her but she shied away.

He lunged and grabbed her.

"Okay, okay." She exhaled, stumbling along beside him, her good arm caught in his vice like grip.

The tunnel narrowed and expanded, some walls naturally cut, others carved out. She tried to count the number of turns and corners but it was like a maze and she eventually gave up, briefly wondering who'd have time to hang all those lights that dangled from hooks and ropes along the high ceiling.

Suddenly the walls opened up into a large cavern that had been decorated up like a scene from some bizarre medieval movie. Huge red curtains draped down covering the rocky sides. Large gothic candleholders stood at odd angles, dripping wax down along the hooks and holders. The candles formed large dark shadows along the walls. She half expected Dracula to come swooping down from the ceiling.

Two large tables, stacked high with discarded food and dirty dishes filled the floor space.

"Sanitary." Jen muttered, shuddering as a rat scurried along the aisle before disappearing under one of the chairs.

Her escort grunted in response. Crossing past the tables they exited out into another series of tunnels, once again brightly lit with bulbs hanging from a long running wire across the ceiling.

The air here was lighter somehow – fresher – she wondered if they were getting closer to the outside. Perhaps if she could get near enough to the surface, her transmitter might trigger.

Well, that was if someone was actually looking for her signal.

Her escort dragged her into another smaller, dimly lit cavern. She was suddenly released and shoved forward.

Near the back sat a large bed, and next to it, a soldier in a dusty navy uniform stood guard, watching her with narrowed eyes. Another large man, wearing a similar uniform stepped forward out of the darkness, approaching her with a smile and outstretched hands. He grasped her wrist and pulled her towards the bed.

"Finally, my son." He said to the figure lying on the bed. "Your savior has arrived."

Jen stared down at the shadowed face of a boy, half buried beneath mounds of blankets. She looked back towards the man standing beside her.

"My son." He said simply. "You _will_ heal him, or you will die."

"What makes you think I can help?" She asked, her voice cracking. She cleared her throat and tried her best to look calm.

"You're a healer. You will heal him." The soldier barked.

Jen turned towards the young boy and reached to move the blankets. The sudden snap of a rifle made her jump back in fright. Her hand flew to her chest as she stared across the bed at the rifle aiming directly at her.

"Stand down." The first man ordered. "Leave us."

The soldier hesitated, then lowered his weapon. "My eldest." He answered, as if to apologies. "He's concerned for his younger brother."

Jen watched the retreating man's back, making sure he was definitely leaving. Once he'd disappeared around the corner she turned back towards the unconscious boy on the bed. He couldn't me more than seventeen. His skin was pale and drawn, beads of sweat glistening across his face. His eyes were closed, his body still under labored breathing. With a tentative look towards the man beside her, she reached for the blankets and peeled them away.

The boy's torso was wrapped tightly in heavy material, the entire right side caked with dried blood. "What happened to him?"

"Shot." The man answered.

Jen knelt on the cold floor, her mind already in doctor mode. She leaned across him, her shoulder protesting, but she ignored it. "I need my bag." She stated, pulling gently at the bandages.

The older man remained still. Jen looked up. She stared up into his eyes searching for the concern of a father who was watching his son die, but found nothing but darkness. She shook away the flash of fear and strove to concentrate on her patient. "If you want me to help him, then get me my bag. The large knapsack your men carried when they took me from my tent. It carries medical supplies."

The man hesitated then nodded, turning towards the entrance to the cavern and shouting an order that echoed through the tunnels. A few moments later Durock appeared, her bag in hand.

"The bag, as requested, Burnon." Durock gushed, handing over the large knapsack with a bow. Jen stood and reached for the bag but Durock slapped her hand away.

"Leave us, Durock." Burnon commanded. Durock handed the bag to Burnon, half bowed, then retreated. But not before giving Jen a sneer.

Burnon turned towards Jen, the bag clutched tightly in his hands. "If he dies… you die."

Jen held out her hand. "If he dies, it's because you're taking to long giving me my supplies. The bag. Now."

Burnon handed her the knapsack.

Jen turned, and under the watchful eye of the father, set to work helping the son.


	5. Chapter 5

FIVE

"Colonel Sheppard, come in."

"Go ahead, Major." John paused next to a large tree trunk and waved at Rodney to stop. After meeting up with the jumper, they'd regrouped and come up with a plan. Lorne and his team would head back to the village and question everyone who could stand, drag them out of bed if they had to, while John and Rodney caught up to Ronon.

"We've found someone," he paused. "Willing to aid us with some intel."

John smiled. "I thought you might. What do you have for me?"

"It appears there's a group of local bad boys who decided the farmer's life wasn't exciting enough. Rumor is they've set themselves up in a network of caves that runs through the hills, and they've made quite a name for themselves as guns for hire."

"Great." Sheppard muttered. "Mercenary farmers."

"Mercenary farmers?" Rodney echoed.

John waved his hand for silence. "Are they dangerous?"

Lorne paused before answering. "A couple of local merchants decided they were bad for business and tried to shut them down. It didn't go well. Our farmer's might be lacking in formal training, but they're heavily armed."

"Lovely." John cursed. "Trigger happy yokels. Anything else?"

"One more thing. No one has ever seen them leave through the Stargate. But they're always seen returning with their, ah, bounty. Apparently they've been known to disable the gate while they're running their missions."

"Okay, send someone to watch the gate. And see if you can get us a location on their hideout. In the mean time we'll catch up to Ronon. Sheppard out."

"You know," Rodney said, falling in behind John. "This would go much faster if you'd just have them pick us up and fly us to the top of this… this… mountain."

"Actually it's a foothill," John commented, "The mountain range is miles to the west. And Lorne's a little busy."

"Five minutes." Rodney pestered. "It's barely a five minute trip. Fly over, pick us up, drop us off, fly back. How hard could that be? I mean we could have been there by now. I'm not built for this kind of travel you know. All this uphill climbing-"

John increased his pace slightly, leaving Rodney far enough behind he could still hear him, but not hear him as clearly.

"Ronon, it's Sheppard." John said into his com.

Silence.

"Ronon, I know you can hear me."

"What?" Came the muffled growl.

John relayed the information from Lorne, and added in McKay's theory that the last place they'd seen the Doc's signal had been suspiciously close to the ancient ruins. "We'll meet you there in about fifteen minutes." A muttered complaint from Rodney. "Better make that twenty." John amended, rolling his eyes.

Ronon looked around the site of the ancient ruins. In one corner stood a tumbled mass of broken and crumbled walls. The building may have once been a small place of worship, the faint etchings of symbols and words were still visible around the archway which stood to the side of the clearing. The open area was well used, the grass matted and trampled with regular foot traffic.

Now that the storm passed, the moon had returned it's light to the surface of the planet allowing him to see clearly, but there was no way he'd be able to determine which of the hundreds of footprints through the clearing he should follow. Methodically, he'd started searching the perimeter, step by step; looking for recent signs of someone's passing. The rain cleaned away most clues, but further under the canopy of leaves the ground was reasonably dry.

There was still a chance he could pick up the trail.

He'd resolved himself to believing Jennifer had been taken by locals who'd decided their sick families were of more importance than those in the village. It was a scenario his mind was eager to hold. Worried family members wouldn't hurt her.

But mercenaries? Even local ones? Mercenaries were cold, dark, and killed for money. These were not the kind of people he wanted anywhere near her. She'd been gone too long. Too much could have already happened. She was a beautiful woman. Beautiful women didn't usually make it far unprotected. But she was useful. Being a doctor was of value. They'd want her unharmed if they planned to use her.

But use her for what? His mind ran through a dozen scenarios, each one adding more anger to his already fury fueled thoughts. At some point he'd noted the three sets of footprints turned into two, which had him very worried. The imprints for one set deepened enough to suggest one of her captors was now carrying her.

He shook his head with a low growl and continued his silent survey of the ground and lower branches.

If she was harmed in any way – _any_ way – he would extract penance in blood.


	6. Chapter 6

SIX

Jennifer was beyond exhaustion.

She'd removed pieces of a metal projectile, cleaned the wound, stitched it, wrapped it, administered antibiotics and thrown off most of the blankets smothering the poor boy.

But it might not be enough.

Whoever had tried to help him before had done more harm than good. The wound was soiled with a bizarre mixture of what looked like tree bark and something that smelled like bad cheese. His fever was too high, his body too weak.

The bullet had entered his right side and shattered in his lower abdomen. With dim lighting and lack of proper surgical tools, she couldn't be sure she'd even gotten all the pieces, but she'd done her best.

She hoped.

Her advice to the father to get his son to a real medical facility had gone unheeded. As had her only plan of getting out into the open.

Burnon had assured her if she'd kept up her end of the deal, and helped his son, he'd return her to the village. But the longer she remained in his company, the less she believed his hollow promise.

The self appointed supreme commander of this little private army didn't seem to care what she'd overheard while she attended to his son. A steady stream of visitors came and went, each requiring his attention. A few, wearing matching navy uniforms, kept a wary eye on her as they whispered softly with their leader. The others, dressed like villagers, didn't care what they said. And apparently they were so enamored with their leader, they couldn't take a piss without needing his explicit instructions because they were asking his opinion on just about everything.

It didn't take long to figure out Burnon and his half a dozen soldiers were employing the farmers like a band of common thieves. Robbing, stealing, killing to get what they wanted. She repeatedly heard them discussing a large collection weapons they'd been amassing and were planning to sell. And Burnon didn't care if it was the farmers that were being killed in the raids, as long as he got what he wanted.

Between interruptions, Burnon had no qualms about making sure she understood the fate that had befallen the previous healer's he'd kidnapped when they'd failed to cure the wounded man he'd brought them to see.

Their patient died. And so had they.

Wouldn't you know her luck would be just as monumental? Her patient was the most important one of all – Burnon's son. Nothing like the impending death of a family member to bring out the love. _He dies, you die _- the repeated words kept ringing around her head.

Jen had seen the movies. They never let the victim go once they'd seen the face of their captors. And they always told you what they were doing if they planned to kill you in the end anyway.

Checking on her patient, she adjusted his blanket before sinking down onto the floor. The guard in the entrance way glanced over, then looked away.

She shivered and moved to wrap her arms around her middle, cringing when she touched the dried and caked on blood that covered the front of her shirt. She wished hadn't complained so much about being wet. Damp and muddy was way better than stiff and bloody.

Reaching up she dragged one of the heavy blankets off the end of the bed. Her left shoulder twitched and protested, but she ignored it. She'd managed to sneak herself a couple of painkillers while she'd worked, and the ache wasn't as bad as before. At least for now.

Folding the blanket around her torso, Jen leaned back against the rocky wall. Despite the added warmth she shivered. Pulling her knees up to her chest she wrapped her arms around them and dropped her chin. Closing her eyes she tried to imagine herself someplace warm – no hot – white sandy beach, baking rays of the sun, cool waves, Ronon…

Her eyes flew open.

Okay, definitely having issues. Maybe she was getting loopy from the lack of food? She had whacked her head pretty good, she thought, fingering the crusted blood along her hairline.

It was bad enough the man invaded her waking life, he needed to sneak into her escaping daydream?

He made her nervous, he made her stutter, he made her so flustered half the time she forgot where she was going or what she was doing. But right now she'd give just about anything to just hear his voice.

_Hey Doc_, he'd say with that low, sexy rumble.

Jen sighed.

Who was she kidding?

At this point she'd give anything to hear _Rodney's_ voice.

Her mind flipped through random thoughts with the ease of changing TV channels. She had no idea what time of day it was, or how long she'd been gone. Did they even know she was missing? How before they noticed? Would they see the empty tent and just figure she'd gone out to finish her work? She never told anyone where she was going – would they think it odd she hadn't checked in? She groaned. Why couldn't she have just joined them for dinner? New rule. Someone asks you to dinner, you go! And why couldn't she have just given in and kissed Ronon? Just once? She'd had a dozen opportunities since then. Time's when they'd been alone – a quick passing in the hallway late at night, stitching him up after some bizarre sparring accident. So many chances wasted. And now she was going to die without knowing.

_Brilliant Jennifer._ She scolded herself. _You're such a wuss._

If she managed to get out of here in one piece the first thing she was going to do was throw herself on the man and kiss him. Okay maybe she'd eat first. Then shower. And brush her teeth. _Then_ kiss him.

"Oh lord," she mumbled. "I'm losing my mind."

Surely they'd be here soon. Wherever here was. Hell she might not even be - Oh_ God, no! _Her heart pounded as she finished the thought that drove icy shivers through her soul. _She might not even be on the same planet! _

No. no. Don't think that!

_They know you're missing. They're coming for you._ She whispered the words over and over, eyes squeezed tightly shut, her head resting on her knees.


	7. Chapter 7

SEVEN

The night sky lightened with the approaching dawn and Ronon's temper was increasing with each passing second. The rocky terrain had been washed clean during the rainstorm, leaving him nothing. He paced a worn trail along the edge of a rise, scanning, looking, searching for something, anything to show him the way.

Lorne and his men had extracted two possible locations from the villagers. Right now they were scouting out a network of caves to the east, while Ronon, John and Rodney followed a winding ridgeline above the ruins.

As the sun peaked over the crest of the hill behind them, long fingers of light shot across the ground. A flash of movement to the right between the trees and Ronon froze. With a quick motion John shushed Rodney and they stepped up beside him. All three dropped to a crouch against the rocks.

"There." Ronon pointed, and John nodded.

Two men, both armed, threaded in and out between the trees, finally disappearing from view.

In one smooth motion Ronon jumped up and leapt forward, landing softly in the damp mud.

"Ronon!" John whispered harshly. "Ronon! Damn it, just once I wish he'd listen." He stood up and scrambled after Ronon along the hillside, pausing to glare back at McKay.

"Do I look like a mountain goat?" Rodney whispered harshly then climbed over a piece of deadfall and started after his team mates.

Ronon ran through the trees, following the path he'd seen the two men take. Dropping quickly behind a fallen log he peered over the top and watched his prey as they caught up with four more men, all armed.

And stupid.

Not one of them was paying any attention to where they were going, or where they'd been. Instead they were loudly discussing a raid they were embarking on, laughing and joking about easy pickings on the unsuspecting settlement.

Ronon almost smiled as they drifted off through the trees.

If these were the mercenaries this was going to be way too easy.

John approached and caught the tail end of the conversation. He nodded with Ronon's assessment. These guys were definitely amateurs. But armed amateurs were usually trigger happy.

Rodney, holding his hand to his side, wheezed to a stop beside them. "Okay. There's way, way to much running going on here."

"Come on." Sheppard slapped him hard on the back, making Rodney wince. "I'll buy you an ice cream when we get there."

"You know," Rodney's face lit up. "Breakfast would actually be more appropriate…" he trailed off when he noted they were both walking away. "I haven't eaten yet!" He called after them. "Low blood sugar?" He waved his hands in the air and sighed, taking off at a half-jog to catch up.

The men they were following turned towards an incline and dropped into a short line, climbing the narrow rise single file. At the top they turned and headed back along the ridge.

"Hey, aren't they're headed back towards the ruins?" Rodney voiced, and Ronon rewarded him with a silencing glare.

"Shh." Sheppard hissed.

"Well, aren't they?" Rodney whispered, then shook his head when John nodded. "I told you we should have just waited there. Sheesh. No one ever listens to the scientist. This isn't just a pretty face you know…" Rodney looked around and suddenly realized he was alone. Scrambling to his feet he took after the Ronon and Sheppard.

Back at the edge of the clearing they dropped behind a large piece of deadfall and peered over at the small group. One man as he extracted something small and white from his pocket, then bent towards the backup DHD.

"That's-" Rodney pointed towards the man and had his mouth immediately covered by John's hand. "Control crystal. I know." John glared, and Rodney nodded. John removed his hand.

They watched as the man inserted the crystal into the control panel then straightened up and dialed a gate address. The minute he touched the panel, the air in the center of the clearing shifted and pulsed, and a familiar shape silently faded into view.

John slapped his hand over back over Rodney's opening mouth before he shouted out what they were all thinking.

"Two gates?" Ronon whispered.


	8. Chapter 8

EIGHT

"You bring me luck." Burnon said with the smirking smile she wanted to slap off his face as he stepped up beside the bed.

"Goodie for me." Jen mumbled, refusing to look at him, choosing instead to concentrate on checking the patient. Sometime in the last few hours his fever had broken, but he was still unconscious.

"He will live?"

"His fever's down and the antibiotics seem to be working, but I can't be sure of anything without the proper equipment."

"Good. You live another day."

"Who are you, the Dread Pirate Roberts?" Jen frowned, immediately liking the man to a character in one of her favorite movies. Burnon raised his eyebrow but didn't answer.

"Look. I can't do anything more for him if you insist on keeping him here. He could live, he could die. But if you don't let me get him to a real facility, I can't guarantee his safety." Jen waved her hands in the air, exasperation and exhaustion getting the better of her common sense. "I know, I know. He dies, I die."

Burnon laughed and clapped her on the injured shoulder. Then he leaned forward, his face sober. "Then we understand each other, doctor."

Jen winced when he squeezed her shoulder before letting go. His use of the word Doctor didn't get past her.

"You called me Doctor."

He nodded. "What this unintelligent planet lacks in medical technology, it makes up for in eager men willing to further my cause." He waved his hand around the room.

"You mean men you can get hurt or killed so they can steal for you." Jen muttered.

Burnon laughed. "You're smart. I like that. Maybe I'll keep you around."

"What?" Jen stuttered.

"Take her back." He called over his shoulder. Mr. WWF stepped into the room and nodded at his boss.

"My friends will be coming for me." She blurted out.

"The soldier and the scientist?" He laughed. "Let them come. They won't get far, I'll just kill them like the others.

Jen felt a wave of relief course through her body. He'd all but admitted she was still on the same planet! They'd find her soon, she was sure of it.

"Should you be thinking of escape…" he gave her a cold smile. "My men have disabled the Stargate." With a smile he turned and left, leaving Jen alone with the wrestler.

"_My men_," she mimicked, "will fix it." Knowing for all his vocalization, nothing could get past Rodney McKay.

The wrestler stepped forward.

"All right, all ready." She muttered, grabbing the blanket off the floor and wrapping it around her shoulders. If she was going to be stuffed in a cave, she may as well be warm. The wrestler took her arm – good one this time – and pulled her forward. With a longing look at her knapsack and the pocket with the power bars, she let herself be yanked out of the room.

As they walked back through the cafeteria – dining area – or whatever she should call it, the half a dozen men seated about the tables stared openly. A few even leered. She wasn't about to give them the satisfaction of seeing her fear so she kept her eyes on the archway ahead.

When they had to pause and step aside to let a small group of boisterous men through, Jen couldn't help but overhear their conversation. Each man was blatantly arguing over whose turn it was to keep the gate key.

_Gate key? _As in Stargate? Was that how they'd disabled it?

The tallest man was holding a long silver object over the head of another man, which resulted in a jumping match that soon turned into a scuffle, then developed into an all out fist fight. This brought cheers and verbal goading from the men who were eating, and it digressed from there.

Jen rolled her eyes. Men. The same no matter what planet you were on. It was always about the fighting.

Warily, she turned and sat heavily in an empty chair, pulling the blanket tightly around her shoulders.

The wrestler stepped in to break up the scuffle. Jen saw a flash of silver as someone's boot kicked the object of their battle spinning across the floor. It skidded to a stop under the chair beside her.

She looked up quickly to see if anyone noticed.

They hadn't.

Pretending to cough she bent quickly and snatched it up. The stone felt cool in her palm. Without looking she jammed the cold crystal up her sleeve. Tugging the blanket tightly around her shoulders she watched the scuffle, hoping no one saw, no one noticed. She wasn't sure what a gate key was, but if they were fighting over it, it had to be important.

Her head snapped up when the door to the cell rattled. Startled, she looked around, her half sleeping mind grasping for details. Then reality came back and she scrambled to her feet. Her body protested the position she'd fallen asleep in, but adrenaline kicked in again, pushing everything else out of the way.

Mr. WWF unlocked the door and held it wide, his hand extended, indicating she was to step out of the cell.

Jen walked forward, wondering what was wrong now. Had her patient taken a turn for the worse? She tried not to think about it.

He took her back to the boy's room where Burnon was in a heated argument with two men she recognized from the group who'd started the scuffle in the dining area. Ignoring the raised voices, she moved to check on the boy, whose status hadn't changed.

"What do you mean you lost the gate key?" Burnon's voice was sharp and steady.

Jen subconsciously stiffened, clutching her wrist where the long narrow crystal still lay pressed against the inside of her forearm. Realizing what she was doing, she allowed her arms to relax and busied herself with double checking the boy's vitals.

The two men cowered back stuttering excuses. The taller was the one she'd seen taunting the others with the crystal. He looked terrified. The second man with a much shorter in stature, looked like he was about to burst into tears as they both tried to make their case for why they'd lost the object.

"Enough!" Burnon shouted. He turned towards the soldier who'd escorted the two men into the room. With a barely perceptible nod the soldier accepted his orders and raised his gun. Jen jumped and clapped her hands over her mouth to cover the escaping scream as she watched the two men shot down.

Rushing over she dropped to her knees, checking both men but her trembling fingers already knew the answer. They were both dead. She looked up at their executioner, whose face remained expressionless.

"Have someone clean up this mess." Burnon ordered.

"You killed them." She whispered.

Burnon pursed his lips. "They disappointed me. I thought you might like reassurance of what happens to those who disobey me."

Two soldiers entered the room, accompanied by several of the farmers. The bodies were quickly removed and Jen could no longer watch the pale faces of the farmers as they were made to carry out the lifeless corpses of their friends.

She turned away.


	9. Chapter 9

NINE

"What do you think?" John whispered, crawling forward on his belly through the underbrush. "They don't look very…"

"Organized?" Ronon finished.

"Someone's in charge." John shook his head. "A group of farmers wouldn't have figured out that gate on their own."

After the men used the gate, it faded from view back under its cloak. The last man remaining extracted the crystal and headed back the way he'd come.

He had no idea he was being followed.

Ronon surveyed the clearing, and the random mess of boxes and crates piled up in front of the mouth of a large cave. A dozen men milled about, some unpacking items from boxes and carting them into the darkened cavern, other's lazing about in the morning sun. The scruffily dressed group was easily defined as the ex-farmers. They wore local attire, joking and laughing as they worked.

Two sentries wearing faded navy uniforms occasionally came out to check their progress.

Ronon recognized them immediately.

"Corvi." He spat. "Traders. Gun runners. They'll do anything if you pay them enough. Last I heard they'd killed each other off."

"No honor among thieves." John quoted.

Ronon nodded. "Supposedly they fought over ownership of some fancy piece of technology."

"A cloaked gate is pretty damn fancy."

A commotion at the entrance caught their attention. Two more soldiers and a group of farmers exited the mouth of the cave and something was dropped onto the ground, causing a loud commotion.

The soldiers issued an order that sent a flash of fear through Ronon's soul. "Bury them," came the command and the navy uniforms disappeared into the mouth of the cave.

The farmers, standing silently, began to whisper frantically amongst themselves.

Ronon felt John's hand on his arm. "Easy." Came the whispered warning.

The crowd shifted, giving them a view of the body that was going to be buried and Ronon felt the air exit his lungs with a soft hiss.

It wasn't her.

But it didn't mean she couldn't be next.

Or wasn't already…

"We need to get inside." Ronon shook the thought away, looking about for another entrance or cave opening. The longer Jennifer remained captive, the bigger the chances were of her being mistreated – if she hadn't been already.

"We don't even know if she's even in there." John answered.

"She's there."

"You can't know that for sure." John countered.

"Uh, guys?" Rodney whispered.

"She's there." Ronon growled.

"Okay," John stretched the word out. "Let's just say, for argument's sake, that she is in there. How do you propose we get in and get her out?"

"Guys?" Rodney said again.

Ronon turned towards John. "We walk in."

"Guys!" Rodney interrupted, louder this time.

"What!" Both Ronon and John turned and came nose to barrel with long black rifles. McKay was standing a few feet away between two locally dressed men, only one of which appeared to be armed.

"Walk in." John turned towards Ronon. "Cute."

Ronon smiled slowly, and damned if he didn't feel the excitement of the hunt.

The minute their captors waved them to their feet he knew he could disarm them both with a flick of his wrist. But it wasn't time. They needed to get inside the cave, and walking in with an armed escort was the perfect solution.

He raised his hands in the air and waited.


	10. Chapter 10

TEN

Leaning over her patient Jen checked his vitals, worried when there wasn't much change. He appeared to be a little more comfortable, but his fever was still too high. She rechecked his wound and stitches under the watchful and suspicious eyes of Mr. WWF.

Burnon had returned to check their progress, but left shortly after reminding her of her responsibility to save his son if she wanted to live.

Jen wanted to stuff that broken record down his throat and watch him choke on it.

She was tired, scared, and hungry, and the armed idiot standing across from her smelled like wet socks. When she'd told Burnon she wanted water and something to eat, he'd only laughed and suggested she hadn't done anything yet to deserve a reward.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, the blanket tightly wrapped around her shoulders, she tried to keep her thoughts positive but damn it was hard fighting the nausea that rolled through her stomach as she thought about her predicament. A commotion outside in the corridor got her attention and she stood as Silus strode into the room.

"He wants to see her. You're dismissed." He said to her wrestler, who nodded and left.

Turning towards her Silus sneered and reached for her arm but she pulled back.

"Where are we going?"

"Burnon has a surprise for you." Silus laughed.

Jen's heart beat faster. She looked behind her at the boy on the bed then back to Silus. "He's not out of the woods yet."

Silus just smiled and grabbed her left arm. Jen gasped and winced when he spun her towards the hallway. "Move."

Jen stumbled along beside Silus, to anticipate the turns before he twisted her shoulder each time he turned her. She guessed right part of the time. The other's resulted in a flash of pain shooting down her arm. Damn. If she hadn't torn something in the fall, she was sure as hell having it torn off now.

He dragged back towards her cell, but paused outside a large cavern she'd passed several times already. Two men were struggling to move a box out of the hallway and into other room, which was already filled to capacity with crates and boxes. He turned and pulled her inside, shoving her down on a crate by the door. "Stay." He ordered, stepping back into the hallway to direct the two men. Jen looked around the room, noting the various characters and labels on the boxes and crates, and not recognizing any of them.

She wiggled further back onto the crate she was sitting on, making herself somewhat comfortable. Something sharp jabbed against her lower back and she angled to move it. Her motion caused a domino effect and something else to slide onto a lower crate beside her with a soft thud. She looked behind her and her body jolted with shock. It couldn't be!

Her heart slamming, she quickly glanced at Silus who was arguing with the two farmers over how best to organize the boxes, then she looked behind her at the familiar shape of the weapons.

P90's?

It had to be John and Rodney!

If their guns and rucksacks were here … then they were here. Weren't they? But if they were here why hadn't she seen them? Unless they weren't here and someone had just stolen their stuff. _Oh hell._ She blinked back the desperation and tears threatening to escape.

Leaning to the side she tried to see what had fallen and got a second shock that stopped her heart.

A gun so unusual she'd only seen one like it, and it was never far from its owner.

Ronon.

No. No, no, no!

Without taking her eyes of Silus, Jen slowly lowered her trembling fingers and pulled the gun closer, her heart stuttering with each scraping noise it made. If it was here – _he_ was here. Somewhere. They were all here. They'd come for her – _he'd_ come for her!

But something had to have happened to them! Did they need her help? Were they injured? Were they even alive? The thoughts rebounded around in her head as she struggled to bring the gun under the edge of the blanket. Once she had it close enough her shaking fingers fumbled as she tried to tuck it in behind her.

If that bastard Burnon did anything to them - medical oath be damned – she'd blast a hole through to his murdering soul.

_Crap this thing is heavy._ _How the hell does he make it look so easy?_

Finished his conversation, Silus turned towards her and she froze, fearful that he'd seen what she'd done. What she had.

But he simply yanked her to her feet and proceed to haul her back out into the hallway. They walked quickly past the cell they'd kept her in, and down a darkened corridor.

She gasped when Burnon stepped in front of her with a flourish.

"Ah, my treasured guest."

Jen fought to keep the trembles to a minimum but her physical and mental form was fast reaching its limit.

"You're just in time for the party." Burnon continued, his face lit with a maniacal grin.

He stepped aside and allowed her entrance to another cell. Glancing past him she saw two faces she'd prayed to see since the ordeal started, and a third she'd only dreamed of.

John, Rodney, Ronon.

They were here, they were alive.

For the moment.


	11. Chapter 11

ELEVEN

Ronon's eyes took her in at a glance and his vision bled red with rage. She was alive. Exhausted. Terrified. Her hair was tangled and twisted, a matted chunk of dried blood clumped along her forehead. A long red scratch marred her cheek. She walked stiffly, her left shoulder held tightly against her side. She'd been injured – _was_ injured.

Oh he was going to make them pay.

No one took what belonged to him and lived.

The idiot farmers had removed their guns, but not their weapons. Then the soldiers made their own search, but were not thorough enough. Ronon still had half a dozen knives hidden within reach.

Four soldiers held them under gunpoint, but left their hands free.

Amateurs.

He didn't have to look to know John was already calculating their odds of escape. And Rodney… well Rodney was breathing so quickly he was going to hyperventilate.

The only major concern was Jennifer, and the man standing behind her. Ronon didn't have to look long to know this was the leader – and a cold blooded killer. He was the one to watch. The one who would react without hesitation. The way the soldiers kept glancing over announced their hesitation to act without orders. Take off the head, the body dies. Kill the leader, the soldiers would fall.

Ronon could take him out with a well placed knife, but he couldn't take the chance of hitting Jennifer. The bastard was standing too close to her. When the man leaned over her shoulder and whispered in her ear, Ronon saw the flash of cold fear cross her face as her skin paled.

"I thought you might want to say your goodbyes." Burnon whispered, making Jen's skin crawl.

She turned. "We had a deal." Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat. "Your son is still alive."

Burnon made a face. "The deal was for your life. Not theirs."

"Then make me a new one." She begged, glancing quickly over her shoulder, her eyes connecting briefly with Ronon's before she looked away.

"Doc." John warned and was silenced when one of the soldiers stepped forward and raised his weapon. John raised his hands, showing compliance.

Burnon raised his hand, signaling his man to hold. The soldier stepped back, but only slightly.

"My son lives, so do you. That is the deal."

"What are you going to do to them?" She whispered, knowing the answer but wanting to hear him say it.

"Why, kill them of course."

"Of course." Rodney muttered behind her and Jen almost smiled if not for the grave seriousness of the situation. Her mind scrambled for something, anything she could say, or offer, to make him let the others go. She should have hidden the key, bartered for it, but it was still tightly wedged inside her sleeve. He'd just take it away from her and kill them anyway.

There was only one thing she could think of.

One chance in a million it could work. But who was she kidding? It would never work. Yet knowing she could have helped and not doing anything would kill her as surly as shooting them herself.

Ronon was an incredibly skilled warrior in hand to hand combat, but certainly not against four armed men – unless he was also armed.

"I want to say goodbye." She pleaded, searching Burnon for any sign of compassion, but finding none. She wondered if he'd brought her here just to see her crumble, knowing he held their lives in his hand. He was all about the power trip.

He smiled and nodded, and her lungs exhausted the air they'd been holding in. "But of course. I'm not a complete monster."

_Liar_, she thought. Shuddering, she thought briefly of the two farmers he'd executed because she'd taken the crystal. She already had two deaths on her hand. There was no way she'd let him take those of her friends without a fight.

Turning, she stepped away from Burnon, then hesitated. Her eyes locked on Ronon's and she felt herself drowning in their depths. So much unsaid. So much she'd wanted to do. So much she should have done. If Burnon knew what she was about to do, he'd shoot her in the back himself.

Ronon held her gaze and watched the emotions playing across her face. Something was wrong. She was terrified. He wanted to reassure her, tell her they were going to be okay. She'd be okay. He wouldn't let them hurt her anymore. But he couldn't give anything away. He could feel John tensing beside him, knowing his friend was just waiting for an opening – a chance to make a move.

Jen stepped forward, her back stiff, the grey blanket clutched so tightly in her hands her knuckles were white. She turned towards Rodney, and tried to smile but failing. Ronon watched as she leaned forward and gave Rodney a quick hug, whispering something in his ear. Rodney's face blanched with shock and he fumbled with the hug, patting her lightly on the back.

Guns raised as the soldiers watched them carefully for any sign of foul play. Ronon's tension increased in response to the charged apprehension that was quickly filling the small room. The soldiers were watching too carefully now, he couldn't move yet. Not yet.

Jen turned towards John and gave him a quick hug with her right arm, keeping her left tightly pressed against her body, clutching the blanket closed around her shoulders.

"Don't worry, Doc." John winked as she stepped back. "We're not dead yet."

Jen nodded and stepped in front of Ronon. Ronon watched her face as she hesitated, her breathing coming so quickly he was worried she was going to pass out. She moved closer to him, her teeth madly gnawing her bottom lip. She winced against the pain in her shoulder as she raised both arms to his shoulders. He leaned down, placing his forehead against hers, his arms hanging stiffly at his sides.

"Kiss me." She whispered, her eyes never leaving his. He blinked. "Please. Don't think. Just put your arms around me and kiss me."

Ronon lifted his head, his eyes quickly moving to Burnon, the soldiers, then back to Jen. Her eyes were wide and filling quickly with tears. His heart squeezed to know he wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and kiss away everything.

So he did.

He lowered his mouth and pressed his lips lightly against hers, tasting her fear, her worry, and the light salty flavor of her tears. Gods and Devils. He wanted more, could have none. He felt the feather light touch of her fingers as she dropped her left hand down his arm and clutched his wrist. He let her pull his hand around to the small of her back. His slid his fingers around her waist towards the indent of her spine and felt her stiffen when he finally touched a very, very familiar object tucked up under the back of her jacket.

He smiled against her mouth and pulled slowly away.

Good lord the woman was beautiful - in stature, spirit, and mind! He wanted to kiss her for being so brave despite her obvious terror. He wanted to strangle her for taking such an incredibly dangerous risk. He wanted to throw his head back and roar with satisfaction at the impossible turned possible.

Ronon couldn't help himself.

He tipped his head back and laughed.

When he lowered his face, he took in the four soldiers as they watched him with curiosity, and then it happened. Exactly what he was hoping for.

Two of the soldiers took their eyes off him, and looked towards their boss.

Shifting his weight he gripped the handle of his gun and with a swiftness born of years of combat he shoved Jen behind him and fired at the two soldiers on his left, dropping them instantly before swinging to the right. John had already incapacitated one and with a sharp right, dropped the second.

John quickly snatched his weapon, and ran for the door.

Burnon was gone.

Ronon helped Jen to her feet. She'd dropped the blanket and for the first time he saw the dried blood staining the front of her shirt. It had been hidden beneath the folds of the blanket but now it was there – and his breath caught.

He leapt forward, his hand quickly reaching for her abdomen.

"You're hurt."

Jen caught his wrists. "It's not my blood."

He scanned her face then nodded, his mind turning to escape. She wasn't safe yet. He quickly turned and took up a position on the opposite side of the doorway across from Sheppard.

They glanced into the corridor. Empty.

"Nice move, Doc." John said over his shoulder as the group moved slowly into the hallway.

"This way." Ronon ushered, running quickly down the hallway.

Jen followed Rodney, with John bringing up the rear.

"Wait." Jen stopped and ducked into an open doorway.

Ronon slid to a stop and ran back. "We have to go."

Jen stuck her head back out, struggling to hold onto an armful of gear. She held out their P90's and the other weapon's that had been confiscated. "You might need these."

Ronon felt the growing desire to kiss her again.

John grabbed for the guns, handing Rodney his weapon. "It was sure nice of them to leave them loaded."

"Move." Ronon ordered, turning down the hallway.

"Don't suppose you have any idea where we're going?" John called over his shoulder.

Jen shook her head. "No, I, sorry. I was unconscious when the brought me in. It's like a maze in here."

Her admission prompted a sharp look from Ronon, but he turned quickly away. "This way." He indicated with a tilt of his head, checking the next corridor before running quickly forward.

"How does he know that?" Rodney asked Jen, who shrugged.

"I don't care, as long as it gets me out of here." Jen answered.


	12. Chapter 12

TWELVE

A loud explosion shook the walls raining dust and rock particles onto their heads and shoulders.

"Cavalry's here." John called over his shoulder. "I told Lorne to give us fifteen minutes before creating a distraction."

"Distraction?" Rodney stared with a worried frown at the dust shaking from the ceiling. "What'd you do? Tell him to cave the mountain in on us?"

Entering the dining area Jen screeched when a huge chunk of rock exploded above her head. Rodney shoved her behind a table and crawled along with her as they moved on their hands and knees following the length of the table. Chunks of dishes and food flew into the air and rained down around them. Jen wasn't sure who made more noise – her or Rodney.

Ronon dove and fired, blasting away a huge pile of dishes on the far side of the room.

Jen scrambled forward, keeping her head down, wincing every time she had to move her left arm. When her shoulder's smacked into something hard she cried out and looked up.

Mr. WWF.

Oh damn.

Clamping his hands about their throats he yanked her to her feet with one hand, and Rodney up with the other. Jen felt the pressure increasing around her neck as she kicked and struggled.

"Help?" She heard Rodney wheeze.

More plates exploding around them.

Suddenly WWF stiffened, his eyes wide, his hands releasing them. Jen landed hard on her backside and Rodney tumbled to the ground beside her. The big man staggered forward and started to topple. They scrambled madly out of his way, barely avoiding being crushed underneath as he fell to the ground.

Looking up Jen saw Ronon standing directly behind the man, his gun still pointing to where the wrestler had just been standing.

"Nice." Rodney muttered, rubbing his throat.

"If you're done playing can we go home now?" John yelled from the opposite side of the room.

Ronon held out his hand to Jen. She accepted and he pulled her up off the floor, then turned towards Sheppard.

Rodney held out his hand but it went ignored. "Yes, thank you, I'm fine." He mumbled as climbed to his feet.

Jen gave him a one arm hug.

Following Ronon they eventually found themselves in a large cavern, the front opening up into the bright morning sunlight. Jen abruptly shielded her eyes against the glare and stumbled forward, but Rodney caught her before she fell.

As Ronon expected, the farmers weren't up for a real firefight and were running for their lives. They hadn't even bothered to take their guns.

Huge boxes in front of the mouth of the cave were engulfed in flame, which Jen assumed was the work of Major Lorne. Through the black, acrid smoke she caught glimpses of the farmers retreating across the clearing, scrambling madly into the woods in their attempt to escape.

Ronon and John edged forward, keeping their backs towards the cave wall while they made their way to the entrance. They hadn't met any resistance since they'd left the cell - no sign of the remaining soldiers or their leader - only farmers making a mad dash for freedom.

John motioned for Ronon to wait while he stepped towards the mouth of the cave in search of the jumper.

Jen briefly wondered what happened to Burnon and his other flunkies. They hadn't been in the tunnels, and they weren't here. Had they fled? Were they hiding?

With a sudden prickling on the back of her neck she turned and watched in horror as two soldiers stepped out of the shadows behind them. Crying out a warning she crashed into Rodney as the bullets flew. Her hands covered her ears as she dropped to the ground. Ronon dove to the side, shooting, at the same time as Sheppard spun and returned fire.

Silence filled the cavern as the echoes died, leaving only a sharp ringing in her ears. Pain burned through her lower back as she staggered to her feet, clutching Rodney's arm while he clutched hers.

"Okay are we done now?" Rodney muttered, his eyes darting around, searching the shadows.

"Not quite yet." A voice hissed behind Jen.

With a gasp she stumbled as she was pulled roughly against Burnon. She cried out when he bent her injured arm painfully behind her back. She reached up and grabbed his wrist but he was too strong. She couldn't move his hand away.

"Drop it or she dies." Burnon ordered, pushing her forward and stepping out of the shadows. Jen flinched away from the sharp point of the large silver blade he held against the side of her throat. Her eyes locked on Ronon's and wouldn't let go.

Rodney dropped his P90 without hesitation, and stepped back.

John lowered his gun, but didn't immediately drop it. "You don't want to do that." He advised.

Ronon didn't move. His gun remained trained on her captor. Jen knew he was a good shot, but Burnon was standing directly behind her, using her as a shield. If he moved his knife even a little, he'd puncture her jugular and she'd be dead before she hit the ground.

"Let her go." Ronon growled, his body steady, his eyes locked on his target. He couldn't look at Jennifer, couldn't let himself get distracted. He only needed an opening. A fraction of space.

Burnon just laughed and walked forward, pushing Jen along. "Oh I don't know. Seems to me I have something you want, and you're blocking my exit." He dug the edge of the knife against Jen's throat and she hissed when the sharp point scratched her skin.

Ronon exhaled, watching the tiny rivulet of blood drip down her neck and onto the collar of her jacket.

The man was going to die for that.

Jen tried to ignore the burning pain shooting along her shoulder and down through her lower back as she concentrated on Ronon. She knew what he wanted. What he was going to do. But she needed to give him an opening. She needed to tell him she understood.

Burnon held the knife across the front of her neck. She couldn't move forward, couldn't move to the side. That left back.

So she did the only thing she could think of.

She closed eyes and slammed her head back.

The back of her skull cracked sharply against Burnon's nose and he cried out, momentarily distracted.

With a sudden sharp blast, it was over. Burnon's body dropped away from hers and the knife clattered harmlessly to the cave floor.

Her knees buckled but Ronon grabbed her arms and held her upright.

"Hey, Doc." He said quietly. His voice sent a tiny trickle of electricity down her spine.

Jen smiled up, the world looking oddly bright. "Hey yourself."

"Jumper's here." Sheppard called out.

She turned towards John but his voice sounded oddly far away. She must have been underground too long, her eyes weren't adjusting to the sunlight very well. Everything seemed so… white.

"Is that blood?" McKay's voice sounded, a whisper against the silence that was filling her ears.

"Hmm?" She heard herself answer.

With a rush of blinding light she pitched forward.

Ronon caught her before she hit the ground, his fingers sliding through a warm, wet patch along her lower back. He pulled back and stared with growing horror at the thick layer of blood coating his hand.

Dropping her onto her side he yanked up the edge of her jacket and sucked in a lungful of air. Her lower back was covered in blood.

She'd been shot.

He barely registered Sheppard issuing orders to Lorne.

With a curse Ronon scooped her up and ran into the jumper. Dropping to his knees in the cargo area he cradled her head between his hands while one of the Marine's worked to stem the bleeding.

"How bad is it?" He growled at McKay who was kneeling beside the Marine.

"I'm a scientist, not a doctor!" Rodney looked up, his face reflecting worry. "There's a lot of blood."

"Faster!" Ronon shouted at Sheppard, who was maneuvering the jumper over the trees towards the gate.

"Dialing Atlantis." Sheppard's voice was tense. "Damn it!" He cursed. "It's not working."

"What's not working?"

"The gate! It's unresponsive! Rodney!"

Rodney looked up. "What? I didn't do anything!"

"Fix it!" Ronon growled.

John landed the jumper and McKay rushed out, running towards the DHD. He tried to manually dial the gate but nothing happened.

Sheppard rushed up behind him. "What is it?"

"I don't know, I don't know!" Rodney mashed the keys. Dropping to his knees he activated a panel along the bottom of the unit and a small drawer slid out.

"They're gone."

"What's gone?" Sheppard looked frantically back towards the open ramp of the jumper.

"The crystals. They're all gone." Then Rodney hopped up, snapping his fingers. "The crystal!"

"Yes, yes, I heard you. They're missing."

"Yes! No! Come on!" He ran back to the jumper, followed by John.

"Go, go!" He waved his hand at John while he dug madly through his pockets. "Where is it, where is it?" He mumbled.

"Go where?" John yelled.

"The other gate!" Rodney yelled back, running into the back of the jumper followed immediately by John.

"It doesn't work, McKay!" John paused for a quick look at Jennifer's prone form before moving to the front of the jumper.

"Argh!" Rodney dug through his pockets. "Where is it, where is it?"

"Where's what?" Ronon growled.

"The control crystal for the cloaked gate!"

"You have it?" John called back.

"Jen handed it to me back in the cave." Rodney muttered against his chest while he checked each pocket.

"Cloaked gate?" Lorne echoed from the front seat next to Sheppard. "What cloaked gate?"

"She did?" John frowned, sending the jumper quickly over the trees towards the top of the hillside. "When?"

"In the cell. You know, when she hugged me. Aha!" He held it up and wiggled it. "Voila."

John landed in the clearing by the ruins, and Rodney dashed out, the crystal clutched tightly in his hands. The minute he inserted it and dialed Atlantis, the second gate shimmered out of nothingness.

"Cool." Lorne nodded.

Ronon was vaguely aware of Sheppard's voice ordering a medical team to meet them in the jumper bay. His eyes, and mind, were locked solely on the woman lying on the floor, who's all too pale face he cradled gently between his hands.


	13. Chapter 13

THIRTEEN

The infirmary was quiet and empty, reflecting the early morning hour. A doctor paused and checked the vitals of the woman lying on the bed along the back wall. Satisfied, he walked towards the man waiting near the entrance.

"How's she doing?" John quietly asked.

"She's sleeping." The doctor replied. "Exhausted. Dehydrated. Torn ligaments in her left shoulder. The bullet carved a nice little groove across her lower back - a bleeder, but not life threatening. She just needs some rest." He nodded his head towards Jennifer's bed. "And so does he, but he won't leave."

John looked over at Ronon, who was sitting silently in a chair beside Dr. Keller's bed. He nodded in understanding and walked past the doctor.

"Hey, big guy." He said quietly, clapping Ronon on the shoulder. Ronon didn't move. "You should get some sleep."

"Not tired."

"Food, then."

"Not hungry."

John shook his head. "She's going to be fine. She just needs rest."

"I heard."

"Then why are you still here?"

"Because."

John stood in silence for a moment before turning to leave. "Okay then, I'll leave you to it."

Ronon wasn't sure why he needed to be here, he only knew he had to be. Sheppard and Lorne had invited him back to the planet to help clean up the mess, round up the renegade farmers for the local magistrate to deal with, and destroy the weapons, but he'd refused.

He wanted to be here incase she woke up. Incase she needed him.

With a sigh she shifted in her sleep, trying to move her left arm and grumbling because it hurt.

His eyes moved past edges of the blue and yellow bruise visible under the sleeve of the medical gown, past the bruises forming along the side of her throat where the giant had tried to strangle her, down to the red scab at the base of her throat. He felt the painful flash of anger and possessiveness surging through his blood.

He should have been there.

She muttered something unintelligible and rolled onto her right side, her face turned towards him. He stared at her features, in awe of the soul of a soldier that existed below such a fragile looking exterior. The woman had an inner strength worthy of a warrior.

A sharp clatter sounded behind him and he turned, frowning at a nurse who was quickly picking up a canister she'd fumbled. Something cold touched his arm and he looked quickly down to see pale fingers lightly gripping his wrist.

He glanced up.

"Ronon?" She smiled, squinting up at him.

He leaned forward, his voice cracking. "Hey, Doc." He cleared his throat.

"Jennifer." She whispered. "I have a first name, you know."

"Jennifer." He repeated, smiling.

"Is everyone okay?"

He nodded. "Everyone's fine. Thanks to you."

"Me?" She frowned and blinked twice.

"That was a pretty neat trick you did with the gun and the gate crystal."

"Oh." She let out a soft giggle. "All in a day's work." She tried to shrug but winced when she moved her shoulder too far. "Ouch. I don't think I like going off world."

_I don't like you going off world either_, he thought.

Her eyes drifted closed again, then snapped opened and she raised her head off the pillow with a gasp. "The boy?"

He reached quickly forward and pushed her back. "Sheppard said to tell you he'll live. They've left him in the care of one of the local villages."

"Oh. Okay. Good." She sighed, relaxing against the pillow. Closing her eyes again she threaded her fingers securely through his and squeezed. He looked down, making sure he really was seeing her holding his hand. The contrast was hypnotizing. Her long graceful fingers, softly twined between his large tan ones. The hand of a healer wound tightly around the hand of a soldier.

"I should have just gone to dinner." She muttered, shaking her head.

"Dinner?" He looked over, his thoughts refocusing.

"New rule." She smiled sleepily. "Next time you get asked to dinner I'm going."

"Next time _I_ get asked to dinner?" He frowned.

"I. Me. Get asked."

"To dinner." He started to smile, wondering if she was even awake.

She shook her head, paused, then nodded. "Ask me to dinner. I go. That's the rule. The new rule."

He laughed softly and leaned closer. "Then I'll ask you to dinner."

"Okay." She nodded and scrunched up her face. "No pirates?"

_Pirates?_

When she curled her body closer towards him he pulled the blanket up over her shoulders, covering her bare arms.

She quietly whispered his name. "Ronon?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." She breathed softly, a half smile pulling at the corner of her mouth.

"For what?"

"For coming to get me." Her worlds were mumbled as she drifted into sleep.

He leaned down, his words whispered against her ear. "I'll always come for you."

With a soft sigh she smiled and pulled his arm forward, tucking their clasped hands under her cheek like a pillow.

Ronon slid the chair forward and slouched back, resting his arm along the side of her bed.

And that was exactly the position everyone left them in as they stopped by to check on the patient.

The sleeping doctor and her vigilant sentry.


End file.
